Come Hell Or High Water
by miXiZ
Summary: Sequel to 'Responsibilities'. Sam and Dean are hunting a water spirit when Sam needs Cassie's help to save Dean. Of course, Cadie doesn't want to be left behind...
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello everyone. This is a sequel to _Responsibilities_ , so if you haven't read that one yet, maybe you should squeeze it in. But it's not a must. The water spirit, the apsara, in this story is a loose adapttion of a Hindu water spirit. It can take on any form of water and travel with it. It's usually the companion of a king or God even, and i picked a Thai weapon as the only one that can kill it.**

 **Summary : Sam and Dean are hunting a water spirit when Sam needs Cassie's help to save Dean. Of course, Cadie doesn't want to be left behind...**

 **S*P*N**

Sam was stumbling through the thick brush, rain and twigs pelting his face in the thick, near-black darkness. The pale moonlight highlighted the thin whirls of fog that were messing with his orientation. The raging waters of the nearby river roared in his ears.

"Dean!"

The wind carried Sam's voice away and drowned it. Where was his brother? They'd been chasing the apsara through the mountainous Missouri area and got split up when they lost sight of it for a moment.

"...mmy!"

A gust of wind carried his brother's voice over, causing Sam to change direction. How did Dean end up to his right when he had taken off towards Sam's left? The beam of Sam's flashlight caught a low hanging branch just in time for Sam to duck and roll.

"Dean?"

Sam was trying to supress his panting in order to listen for a sign of his brother. Another gust of wind sent a shiver down his spine. Slowly he stepped into the wind, heading in the direction Dean had last called from. The thundering of the water grew even louder and Sam knew he must be close to the edge.

Sure enough a few steps onward, the ground began to slope until it hit an abyss, a cliff. One glance down told Sam it was at least a fifteen foot drop to the surface of the raging waters that were a glistening, foaming, fluid black mass below. Sam took a step back and trudged through the muddy ground at a relatively safe distance to the edge.

"...am!"

Dean sounded a lot closer now, but the storm carried bits of his voice away. Sam lifted his flashlight from the ground but could only see bits of tree, fog and rain still pelting down. His clothes were water logged long time already, feet making swishing noises in his shoes with each step.

"...ch out!"

Closer even. Dean wanted him to shout? No problem.

"De... uhhh!"

Before Sam could finish shouting Dean's name, his brother appeared out of nothing, tackling him to the ground at full speed. The air left Sam's lungs with a whoosh and he could just make out the grisly outline of claws attached to a feminine shaped mix of werewolf, wendigo and mermaid. This water spirit sure was ugly. The sound of tearing fabric and a pained grunt he couldn't make out if it were coming from him or Dean were the last things Sam was aware of before his head connected with the knobbly root of a fir tree and everything turned black.

 *****spn*****

When Sam came to, daylight was starting to seep through the wet branches of the trees around him. His head was pounding and when a probing hand touched the back of it, it came back bloody and muddy. He groaned and sat up. The river below was rumbling at a softer volume, but still gurgling enough to attest the heavy downpour from the night.

Downpour? Sam's eyes widened when his memory reassembled in his brain. He'd been hunting this Hindu water spirit with his brother when they got separated and then...

"Dean?!"

Sam shouted as he pushed himself up to his feet, drenched clothes threatening to pull him back down. He ignored the throbbing in his head which intensified as he stood upright, and stretched out a hand to steady himself as his world began to spin. Squinting, Sam took in his surroundings but found no trace of either his brother or the apsara.

The rain had stopped by now, which was just as well. This water spirit could take on any state of water. No rain or fog meant it couldn't follow him on land. As long as he stayed clear of the river...

"Shit," Sam muttered and then skittered through the mud to the edge of the cliff. "Shit, shit, shit. DEAN!"

His voice boomed over the river but the only answer Sam got was a soft gurgling. There were many boulders in the rather deep water, some sticking out, others barely visible under the water surface. If Dean had fallen down there... Sam scolded himself for thinking that. Dean was fine. He had pushed him out of the apsara's path. Dean had put himself in the line of fire to spare him, again.

"Damnit, Dean, where are you?"

Sam pat his wet jeans for his phone and then sighed. If the phone was as wet as his jeans there was no way it would be working. And that meant Dean's phone would be in a similar stare. Making up his mind to search for Dean along the shore line, Sam took one step and then froze. A glint had caught his eye. A glint from a boulder below, right at the bottom of the cliff, inches away from the water line. He blinked his eyes rapidly and then focused on the object below once more.

"Oh fuck, no!"

Dean's phone was laying on that boulder. Or whatever was left of it. But... if the phone was down there, it could only mean that Dean had to be down there as well.

"Please, no," Sam whispered, pressing a hand against his throbbing head. "Please let him be okay."

Maybe Dean hadn't fallen. Maybe he just lost his phone. Maybe when he tackled Sam to the ground, his phone had fallen from his pants and slid over the edge. If Dean had fallen... Sam shook his head.

"Don't think that, Sam," he scolded himself.

Dean was a great swimmer. Sam had seen him brave a rough sea and save a kid from a water ghost in a lake. His brother knew how to swim. But... the boulders would have hurt him even if he hadn't hit one in his fall. And if he was down there, hurt, then the chances that this water spirit had him were great.

Carefully, Sam climbed down and along the slippery edge, hoping to find a spot where he could get down to the shore. As his foot slipped, Sam's back screamed in pain and he was reminded of the fall he'd taken at the hands of his brother. But if Dean hadn't tackled him, the apsara would have pushed Sam over the edge and down into the raging waters.

Two hours Sam walked and climbed along the shore, hands bloody, clothes muddy and torn, back protesting and head throbbing mercilessly, but he hadn't found another single sign of Dean.

This spirit had to have a lair of sorts where it had brought the other young men it lured to the water. Four men in their mid-twenties had disappeared in this neck of the woods, only to be found a week later, dead. Signs of drowning were on each of them but they were found a good few yards offshore on land, albeit after a heavy downpour.

Although they had been missing for days, they hadn't died right away. The condition of their bodies had suggested they drowned within ten hours of being found. Yet they were found in spots that had been searched after their disappearances.

An apsara was luring young men to a river to test them. Apsaras were the companions of kings and to make sure of their continuing existence they needed to find a man worthy of being a king. The suitable partner needed several qualities: strength, courage, pansophy and fidelity.

The brothers had known they would be targets but hoped to be able to take down the spirit before it managed to test either of them. They had managed to get hold of a daab sword which was needed to destroy the spirit.

The sword. Dean had it with him. Wherever he was, Sam hoped he still had it. Dark spots began dancing in front of Sam's eyes and he felt sick to his stomach. There was no way he could continue searching for Dean like this. He needed help. And help he knew he'd get not far away, a few towns over. It took Sam another half an hour to get back to the Impala and drive off.

 *****spn*****

"Cadie? Have you finished your homework?"

Cassie Robinson skipped down the steps to the bottom floor as her daughter flopped herself onto the couch.

"Mom, it's the weekend," Cadie moaned.

"That doesn't answer my question, young lady," Cassie admonished her, smiling. Cadie took a deep breath.

"Yeah, Mom. I have. It's the weekend. Please don't mention anything school related before Monday. Thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Cadie rolled her eyes.

"Watch it, sweetheart. You wouldn't want me to call Dean and tell him...," Cassie started but Cadie interrupted.

"You never call Dean about my homework, Mom, because you know he'd take my side." Cadie grinned. "You only call him to tell him you miss him and a whole bunch of stuff a girl my age shouldn't have to hear."

Cassie blushed slightly. "You are not supposed to eavesdrop on my conversations with Dean."

"Conversations?" Cadie chuckled. "Try..."

Whatever Cadie had wanted to say was disrupted by a sharp knock on their door. Cassie looked at her daughter but she just shrugged, meaning she didn't expect any of her friends. Walking over to the front door, Cassie glanced out of the window and noticed the black Chevy in her driveway. A smile lit up her face. She grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.

"Dean! I didn't expect to see y..., oh, hi Sam."

Cassie's cheerful expression quickly changed as she not only took in Sam's appearance but also the absence of his brother.

"What happened, Sam? Where is Dean?"

Sam looked at her, pupils blown wide in his soot covered face. He opened his mouth to talk but got dizzy and leaned against the door frame. Immediately, Cassie's hand curled into his muddy jacket, keeping him upright. Cadie had left her spot on the couch at the mention of her father and his brother and a worried frown formed on her forehead as she watched her tall uncle sway like a leaf in the wind.

"Sam?" Both women called out again and Cassie took his chin in her hand to make him look at her. "Where is Dean?"

" 'm s'rry," Sam slurred as his knees buckled and he was only upright because of Cassie's vise like grip on his arm. His chin fell on his chest as his head began spinning more violently.

"It's okay, you're safe here," he vaguely heard Cassie say in his ear before he gave in to temptation and let the blackness claim him.

 *****spn*****

Dean woke up laying on the solid rock of the washed out half cave he had managed to latch onto and pull himself in after he and the apsara had tumbled over the edge of the cliff. The second he realized he was free falling, Dean had twisted his body and curled up slightly, hoping he would be lucky enough to land in the water and not splatter his brains on one of the boulders littering the river.

His wish had been granted and as soon as he felt himself being engulfed by the cold, raging current, he had worked his way up to the surface, ignoring the rocks he hit with his body. He had to get out of the spirit's element sooner rather than later. After what felt like hours, but were probably mere minutes, Dean's hand had found the edge of the cave-like hollow and his freezing muscles had screamed at him as he held on against the strong current, against the odds.

Slowly, he had managed to get his body worked onto the embankment but just when Dean had thought he'd made it, an icy hand of solid water wrapped itself around his left ankle and tried pulling him back under. Dean kicked and struggled, breath coming in harsh pants, and finally used his left hand to pry the spirit's hand off his leg.

The joy from succeeding didn't last long however, when the icy limb now latched around his wrist and managed to pull his head and half of his torso back into the water before his other hand found purchase. Sputtering and gasping for air, Dean had fought his way back up the embankment and with a last gasp of effort he twisted his hand out of the apsara's grip.

The moment he felt free, Dean scrambled back as far as he could, until he felt a solid wall of cold rock stop his flight. In the light of the moon, he saw there were about seven yards between him and the shore, and the cave-like structure sheltered him from the still pouring rain. So with no connection to any form of moving water, he was safe for the moment.

Breathing heavily, Dean lay face down, trying to get his bearings. His head was pounding, his lungs were screaming and slowly but surely almost every part of his body started complaining with pain where he'd hit and scraped along boulders in the water. The pounding of his blood in his skull, throbbing in time with his beating heart, grew louder and louder. As if in slow motion, Dean's eyelids dropped and he rested his head on the cold, rocky ground as consciousness retreated and the void took over.

He could feel all of it now, not sure if he'd be able to move a single muscle in his body. Lifting his buzzing head slightly, Dean forced his eyes to focus. The river had quieted down after the storm and rays of sunshine reflected on the water now. Shifting slightly, Dean heard a faint, metallic scraping. He patted his hand down to his belt and smiled as he felt the sheath with the daab sword still safely attached. His smile, however, froze on his face when his eyes moved across the water's surface until they locked onto the watery ones of the apsara.

 **TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

Cassie was busy cleaning a gash on the back of Sam's hand when the man started rolling his head from left to right, moaning softly. She and Cadie had gotten most of the moist, muddy clothes off his long limbs and Cadie hadn't even have to be asked to run the washing machine and tumbler. So Sam was lying there in a damp-in-spots t-shirt and his equally damp briefs but there was no way Cassie was touching those items if she could help it.

Cadie had washed the mud off Sam's boots and stuffed them full of crumpled up newspaper to dry. Then she had taken Sam's dripping phone and - after taking out the battery and sim card - got to work on it with her hair dryer.

"Sam?"

Cassie put a hand on Sam's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. Sam's eyes flew open and it took him a moment to realize where he was.

"Where's Dean?"

Sam panted as he sat up and his head and back complained at the sudden motion. His eyes fell on his bare thighs and he lifted his head sharply.

"Where're my clothes?"

"I don't know where Dean is, Sam, but your clothes should be in the tumbler by now," Cassie supplied. "You don't know where Dean is?"

Sam sighed, unconsciously rubbing his hurting back.

"Yes and no," he then said. "We were hunting an apsara in the mountain range forty miles from here. But... we got separated in the dark and the weather and when I found him it was just before I got knocked out. When I woke up, there was no trace of him or the apsara. I searched for hours but, nothing. That's when I came here."

"What's an apsara?" Cadie asked as she approached the two.

"It's an Asian water spirit," Sam explained. "Nasty suckers."

"Asian?" Cadie frowned. "What's it doing here?"

"Beats me, but it is here," Sam replied. "Probably traveled in the clouds or ocean."

"Clouds?" Both women asked.

"Yeah, well, they can take on any form of water, moving water. That's what makes it hard to kill them because they need to be solid."

"What, like ice?"

"That'd be best. But in a corporeal water form it works, too. If you're fast enough," Sam explained.

"That makes my head hurt," Cassie said. "How do you know all this?"

"We'd be dead if we didn't know," Sam smiled.

"Where's Mary?" Cadie asked out of the blue.

"Huh? Not sure. She's hunting alone. I think she was somewhere down in Texas last week," Sam replied.

"Shouldn't she know her son is missing?" Cadie pressed on.

"Cadie, sweetie, if we called her every time one of us is unaccounted for, we'd never get off the phone."

"I doubt that," Cadie pouted in a way that reminded Sam of his brother. "By the way, I dried your phone and it's charging. Why don't you hop in the shower and..."

"My phone still works?" Sam cut in, eyebrows rising. Cadie shrugged.

"It's charging."

"Right," Sam nodded.

"When you shower, leave the door unlocked," Cassie stated as she dropped a towel, clean t-shirt and some boxers in Sam's arms.

"What, why?"

"You came to my door and passed right out. Been out for about an hour. I don't need you passing out again and behind a locked door."

"I won't...," Sam replied but caught the look on Cassie's face. "Door unlocked. Got it."

***spn***

For a few moments, Dean and the apsara just stared at each other. Dean's pounding head was working feverishly to come up with a way to get out of the semi-cave and into the woods. With the sun out, the spirit wouldn't be able to follow him there. But the only way to get there was through the water.

Dean pat down his jeans for his phone and came up empty. They were at a stalemate. The spirit couldn't get to him on the rock, and if he wanted into the relative safety of the woods it meant getting in the water. Dean didn't like that idea much, as a fight was inevitable, but he also didn't care much to be stuck where he was.

For a moment he considered drawing the daab and going for the attack, but the water was deep and he'd need to swim. Since this was the only daab they had it wouldn't do to lose it. Dean pulled himself up on all fours, drawing an immediate reaction from the water spirit as it lifted its head, eyes never wavering from Dean.

"Whatcha looking at, fugly," Dean hissed.

The apsara just cocked its head sideways. Leaning back on his haunches, Dean weighed his options. To his left, or downstream, was a bit of open water before several boulders surfaced from the waters. Upstream there was a bigger patch of open water but the rocky edge rose up at least two yards steep and Dean was sure he wouldn't be able to reach that high to have a chance of pulling himself up.

Mind made up, Dean decided to go for the oldest trick in the universe. Feign right, go left. No monster with half the mental capability of a dog would fall for this trick, but it was his only chance. Slowly, Dean took a few deep breaths to fill his lungs with as much oxygen as possible. Then, like a cobra ready to strike, he lunged up, first a step to the right and then, putting all the power he had in his leg muscles, he propelled himself to the left.

From the corner of his eyes he saw the apsara move upstream. But Dean didn't have time for disbelief as the cold waters engulfed him a split second later and he started crawling away. He let the current take him against the closest rock and drew his legs close to use the power of the current and the immobility of the rock to propel himself back towards the slightly sloped shoreline.

Just as he felt solid ground under his feet, the apsara was on him. Dean was sucked under water and had just enough time to hold his breath. He fumbled for the daab to pull it out but had to abandon the move to make sure he'd get enough purchase to get back to the surface for air.

Jelly-like hands grabbed his arms and he struggled harder, jerking his limbs as much as possible. The grip the apsara had on him was relentless. When the first black dots started to flicker at the edge of his vision and his lungs were burning with need for oxygen, Dean relaxed his body and let himself sink to the bottom.

Dean felt the confusion of the water spirit and the second he felt the grip on him loosen he kicked his feet hard into the ground and pushed himself up. As he broke the water surface he gulped in the refreshing air and scrambled towards the shore. He almost made it all the way out of the water when he felt those hands latching onto his boots again.

Arms and torso on shore, Dean twisted around and released the daab to take it into his right. Almost on instinct he swung the blade towards where the transparent, swirly body of his attacker glittered in the sun and sliced away at it. A loud hiss evolved into a screech, much like the olden times teapots did, and Dean felt hot steam burn through his right pant leg.

"Aahhh!" he screamed and rolled away, not letting go of the blade. His leg was in white hot pain and Dean had to fight the urge to dip it into the cooling water. Instead, he gritted his teeth and somehow managed to get to his feet. His breath was coming in heavy puffs and from the edge of the water Dean saw a furious pair of eyes set on him.

Dean shuddered and felt the urge to get away as far as he could to regain his bearings. Favoring his left leg he started limping away, up the sloped hill towards the tree line. He stumbled once or twice, knees hitting the rocky ground hard, head starting to throb mercilessly. Dragging himself up to reach a safe spot, some kind of shelter from rain if needed, Dean was startled by the screech of a massive raven he'd disturbed. Moving away from the lifting off bird, Dean's foot slipped and he fell backwards, sliding down a few meters until his head connected with a rock. As his vision blackened, his body went limp and Dean's last coherent thought was a plea for no rain.

***spn***

Sam left the bathroom feeling a lot better, and fresher. When he entered the living room, Cadie smiled at him and pointed at a neatly folded stack of clothes.

"Mom wasn't happy with the tear in your jacket so she's kinda stitching it up at the moment, but at least your jeans and shirt survived. Your shoes are still a bit damp but I got your phone to work. You just have to unlock it."

Hastily, Sam slipped on his jeans but ignored the shirt in favor of the phone. As soon as he had punched in the code, wild beeping told him he had three missed calls and several more messages. But before he had a chance to read any of them, his phone started ringing.

"Yeah?" Sam answered without checking the caller ID.

"Sam? Finally! I've been trying to reach you or Dean since last night."

"Jody?" Sam asked.

"In the flesh. Where are you?"

"Hunting an apsara around Cherokee Pass, Missouri. Where are you?"

"Well, we are actually not far away. Got a few kids here that wanted to see you again..." A rustling noise was all Sam heard in the struggle for the phone, before a new voice spoke.

"Heya Sam. It's Max. Alicia is here, too. We just torched a wendigo over in Shawnee National Forest. Not that far from Missouri. Convinced Jody to leave SD and join us. If you need help we can be there in a cinch."

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "That would actually be great. Dean is missing."

"What?" Three voices sounded in Sam's ear, making it clear Max had put him on speaker.

"Um, yeah, why don't you come over and we can meet at Cassie's in Cape Girardeau. How soon can you be here?"

"About an hour," Jody called. "Sit tight."

***spn***

Dean woke up to a rain drop falling on his face. Like jolted from a nightmare he sat up, groaning at the renewed pain in his head. His leg was throbbing and tender but he couldn't pay attention to it now. He had to find shelter before the rain was coming down hard enough to allow the apsara to change form.

Dean dragged his weary body upright and hobbled along the forest, carefully avoiding any steep parts. Although he couldn't see anything in the river he felt the apsara watching him, waiting for the heavens to open fully to pick up pursuit.

It was getting a bit darker with the accumulating clouds and Dean cursed as he had nothing to use as a light source. Both his phone and his flashlight had been lost in his struggles. Finally, after searching for a good ten minutes, Dean spotted an animal den. Not caring if it was inhabited or not, he ran toward it just as the heavens opened with a loud thunder clap and the rain started pelting down.

The den wasn't the biggest but at least, Dean decided, it wasn't currently inhabited as a mere couple of cougar scratches and the lack of a distinct cougar stench seemed to prove. Turning around in the place that was roughly thrice his size, Dean crawled towards the only entrance and glanced outside into the downpour.

The entrance hole wasn't all that big, a triangular structure of rock and wood, that didn't allow Dean to see much. Wanting to get a better view of the immediate surroundings, Dean carefully observed the entrance hole. When everything was quiet, he slowly stuck his head out.

A red hot pain lit up the right side of his face and Dean scrambled back, hand instinctively cradling the wounded cheek. The burning sensation alone told him he'd been scratched good and as expected, his hand came away bloody.

"Son of a bitch," Dean cursed under his breath and looked up. From the rained upon exterior of his hiding spot, a set of watery eyes was impotently watching his every move. He was so not getting out of the lair while it was raining. Pulling back into the den as far as he could, Dean tried to find a somewhat comfortable position to rest his exhausted, pain filled body.

An occasional glance to the opening revealed no sign of the apsara, but Dean knew it was out there somewhere. Eventually, the rhythmic drumming of raindrops on wood lulled Dean into dozing off.

***spn***

"So, let me get this straight. Dean's out there with this monster, bearing the only weapon that can kill it and you have no idea whether he's even alive, or hurt, captured or just simply drowned?" Alicia summed up Sam's report of what happened.

"More or less," Sam admitted. "There was no way I could have located him in the state I was in and I didn't wanna risk passing out right there with this thing on the loose, so I came here to ask Cassie to help. Of course, three extra helpers are more than welcome."

"Sure thing," Jody nodded while Max showed off a magic trick to Cadie.

"We're in," he then smiled. "Like this we can split up without going alone. We can make teams to cover more ground more quickly."

"Right," Sam nodded and looked at Cassie. "Then it's settled. Cadie will stay here in case Dean got away and found some way to come here, and we're leaving now. Should give us at least two hours of daylight to start our search. Let's go."

"Oh no, nothing is settled," Cadie cut in while getting up and taking a stand between the group of hunters and their front door. "I'm not going to stay put here while you all look for Dean. I can help."

Cassie looked at Sam, shaking her head no. "I'm sorry, Sam. Of course she will stay. She..."

"... will not be waiting her ass off here. We all know Dean won't get here. If he could get away there, he'd have already made it. I am not staying put."

"Look, Cadie," Sam started but trailed off when the girl crossed her arms in front of her chest and stuck her chin out determinedly, much like Dean had used to when they were growing up and he was in charge.

"I'm coming!" 


	3. Chapter 3

When Dean started to wake, he immediately noticed the absence of the rhythmic pattern of raindrops falling. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and winced at the pain that shot through his clawed up face. His whole body was aching but his right cheek was on fire. He lifted a hand to gingerly feel along the still sticky scratches.

"Freaking spirits," he muttered, studying the half dried blood on his fingers. "Scratch like a girl."

A glance outside revealed daylight, albeight not bright sunshine. At least there was no rain. Dean crawled out of the den and got to his feet. He studied the clouds above him in an attempt to decide whether he should look for Sam or the car, or try the river to gank this monster.

His concern for his brother won and Dean began hiking towards the tree covered hill top where he had last seen Sam. The more he thought about Sam, the more worried he became. This was the first time since he had pushed his brother out of harm's way, that Dean really had time to notice the lack of Sam at his side.

It had been early morning hours when they had found the apsara in the pouring rain. And now the sun was slowly preparing to set once more. Sam would be looking for him. Where was he? Was he alright? With a sigh Dean wiped at the sluggishly bleeding cuts on his face.

He was pretty confident, his brother had not been taken by the monster, because it was still gunning for him. It had been on his heels this whole time. Sam had to be okay. But where was he? Was he hurt?

Pushing these thoughts to the back of his head, Dean trained his concentration on his own body and his surroundings. He was still in possession of the daab so he should be fine. But the terrain was treacherous after all the rain, slippery rock, and once in the cover of trees, slippery, muddy soil.

Half an hour later the clouds had almost fully dissipated, lowering the chance of rain immensely. That was sort of a relief, but it was short lived. When Dean reached the spot where his Baby should be waiting for him, it was gone.

"Oh great," Dean muttered, automatically looking for signs on the ground that would tell him how long the car had been gone already. "Really, Sam?"

Dean couldn't think of many reasons for Sam to leave without him. Because he was hurt, was one. To go for help was another. Faint marks told Dean the car had been gone before the last downpour. He sighed. He could try walking along the street to the next village but if he remembered correctly, that was quite a distance. Or he could track back to where he had tackled his brother during the night. With any luck he might find his phone or a flashlight.

Dean unsheathed the daab and walked up to the closest tree. Using the sharp blade, he cut the crude outlines of a pentagram in the bark, big enough to see from the dirt road. If Sam returned, it'd tell him Dean had been there. When he was happy with his carving skills, Dean looked over his shoulder down the road once more and then, gritting his teeth in grim determination, back tracked their steps from the night. If he calculated correctly, he'd have a bit over two hours before darkness fell.

***spn***

Jody was driving her car, following Sam in the Impala. Max was sitting shotgun while Alicia had taken the back seat. She still didn't understand why Sam gave in so easily to allowing the kid to come with them. Cadie didn't grow up fighting monsters. Jody got why Cassie was coming along, although she didn't know whether it was a good idea. But the girl? She didn't know anything about hunting... did she?

"Either of you know Cassie?" Jody asked the twins.

"No," Max shook his head along with his sister. "But she obviously has a thing for Dean, not that I blame her."

Jody eyed Max' smiling face and Alicia laughed softly.

"Cadie seems to be quite stubborn," Alicia said. "Did you see the way she pouted? And those eyes? Deadly combination."

"Yeah," Jody nodded. "Kinda reminded me of D..." Her forehead scrunched up in surprise and her lips formed a silent 'o'. The twins shared a puzzled look. "That sneaky bastard, never said a word." Jody shook her head and finally laughed.

Max' eyebrows rose as he put together Jody's clues. "You think Cadie is Dean's?"

"Sure of it. Damn, I should have known the second she stuck out her chin." Jody was still reeling from her revelation. "Holy cow, that puts a spin on it."

"It explains why Sam gave in so fast," Alicia nodded. "So, Dean never said anything? Or Sam?"

"I've known them a few years now. Not a word. It was Mary who mentioned Cassie last time I talked to her on the phone. She was telling me about that Griffin they hunted. I think Cadie was in the mix, too." Jody puffed and shook her head.

"Cadie is like, what, twelve?" Max mused. "If Dean never said anything, maybe he didn't know."

Both women looked at Max in disbelief.

"Really?"

Max shrugged. "Could be."

"Oh, to be sure, I will find out once we find Dean," Jody declared.

"If we find him," Alicia said softly. "That spirit sounds scary."

"When!" Jody stressed. "Dean is like a bad penny. He always turns up. Sometimes a bit worse for the wear, but..."

"He turns up," Max finished.

They drove on in silence until Sam turned off the main road and pulled into a dirt track leading to the woods.

***spn***

Sam stopped the Impala a bit more harsh than Dean would have approved of. His hope of finding Dean waiting for him had vaporized when they took the last bend but as he approached the spot where Dean had previously parked the black car, something on a tree let his heart beat faster and he hit the brakes harder than intended.

"He was here," Sam called, getting out of the car as soon as he'd stopped it. He jogged over to the tree and ran his fingers across the jagged edged carvings in it. They came back sticky.

"What's it, Sam?" Cassie called as she joined him.

"He carved this in the bark, not that long ago. Look, the sap is still clear and runny."

Cassie nodded. "Let's find him, Sam."

Jody and the twins as well as Cadie had joined them now.

"Where do we go look?" Jody asked.

"I think it might be better to split up," Sam said. "That way we can cover more ground. Cadie, you might wanna hang back here with your mom."

Cadie's eyes darkened and she deliberately crossed her arms in front of her chest. But before she could open her mouth to speak, her mother beat her to it.

"I don't think that's a bright idea, Sam. We stay here and that whatever it is turns up, what do we do?"

"Yeah, we go with you," Cadie confirmed her mother's words. Sam exchanged a look with Jody and then nodded.

"Right. Jody, how about you and the twins circle around this way," he pointed North. "If you keep to the treeline you will join the river at the spot where I last searched for Dean. We will follow our path from yesterday and will eventually meet there. If we haven't found him by then..." Sam trailed off.

Max blinked and put his hand on Sam's arm. "We will find him."

Sam nodded once more, smiling at Max to show his appreciation. "If you see the apsara, try stabbing or slashing it. I can't promise it'll do anything but it's the only option we got until we find Dean and the daab."

***spn***

Dean circled around the spot where he had tackled Sam the night before for the third time. He couldn't make out a trace of either his phone or the flashlight. And no sign of Sam.

Stepping up the the edge of the cliff, Dean shuddered as he remembered his fall. He saw now how easily he could have smashed his head or back on the rocks below. Sam must have been frantic. A glimmer below caught his eyes and made him crouch. As he focused on the source, an involuntary groan escaped him.

"Sam will be thrilled. Another phone trashed."

His eyes traced the surface of the river below, catching on a vague figure in the spray. Instinctively, Dean's fingers curled tightly around the hilt of the daab. He rose from his crouch and followed the edge of the cliff downstream towards the direction where he had managed to crawl ashore.

Eyes only leaving the figure in the river when necessary, Dean almost slipped a few times in the slopy, rocky terrain. The scratches on his face were throbbing in time with the burn on his leg and the knot on his head but determination pushed all this in the background.

Once Dean had made it to shore level, he approached the edge of the water, daab at the ready. The watery face of the apsara seemed to laugh at him. Dean wished for fog or rain now, to allow the creature to get out of the river. He didn't really fancy having to fight in its element, but a cloudless sky made it impossible.

Sitting on a rock a few feet from the shore, water gurgling around it, the apsara waited for Dean. It was out of reach with the daab unless Dean stepped into the water. The older Winchester considered waiting it out, but he knew come nightfall he wouldn't be able to watch its moves and should it rain then, he was very likely monster chow. He didn't have much of a choice.

***spn***

Sam reached the spot he'd last seen Dean at first, the women hot on his heels. He looked around, searching for any sign of his brother, maybe another marked tree or anything. When his eyes fell on a fresh, muddy boot print on a rock his eyes lit up.

"Look, Sam," Cadie said right at that moment, pointing at it. She had made the same discovery.

"Yes, I saw. Looks like he was headed downstream. Let's go."

Cadie dashed ahead but Sam caught her by the sleeve. "I will lead. I know the terrain and I am the one with the knife."

Cadie scowled and looked at her mother. Cassie held her daughter's gaze.

"Sam will lead," she just repeated. Cadie sighed.

"Fine."

Meanwhile Max, Alicia and Jody had also come across boot prints they decided had to be Dean's. But those weren't the only prints. Jody was crouched next to a rock with dark splatters on it. She touched her fingers to it.

"Is that blood?" Max peered over her shoulder.

"Yes," Alicia confirmed along with Jody.

"Damn."

"So we know he's hurt, but not where and how badly," Jody concluded. "Keep your eyes open for more tracks."

"If he's hurt bad I will so end this thing," Max growled.

"And me," added Alicia. Jody almost laughed.

"You two carrying a torch for Dean?" She joked. Alicia giggled but Max just looked grim.

"I like him. He's a cool guy, great hunter. That's enough to make me say that," Max explained. Jody stared at him.

"You know I was just kidding?"

"Well, I'm not," Max confirmed.

"Right," Alicia decided to diffuse the sudden tenseness. "Get a move on if you wanna get to the shore before dark."

In silence, eyes glued to the ground, the three backtracked Dean's prints.

***spn***

Dean decided to try and feint an attack, lure the spirit to the edge and thus within reach. So he studied the water-covered rocks as best he could to find out where he'd most likely have a sure step. He knew he had to be prepared.

To fight, to swim, but not to let go of his weapon.

Mentally counting to three, Dean made a few sure footed steps into the shallow part of the river bank, in direction of the apsara perched on the rock. As soon as Dean was in striking range, it dissolved into the water.

Dean's eyes grew wide as he realized what it was trying and he back paddled, slipping a bit on a wobbly rock. He managed to catch himself and head towards safety. Behind him a thunderous roar resounded. Feet barely on dry ground, Dean turned to see an enormous water spout rising up behind him. The closer it got to him the more it formed into the shape of the apsara.

Lifting the daab to meet the creature, Dean realized he'd never get up the weapon in time. A brief hiss of water evaporating rang in his ears before the spout creature tore him down and the weapon clattered out of his grip onto the ground.

A struggle ensued and Dean had the feeling like he fought against water logged clothes. He couldn't grab it, but it held a power like water tumbling down a fall. He felt icy hand-like tentacles wrapping around his arms and chest, and holding him down without a chance of finding purchase to peel them off. Like through quicksand his hands moved through the spirit which was not relinquishing its power.

Changing his tactic, Dean started struggling to reach the dropped daab. He stretched his arm and fingers, patting the ground for the sword. Of course the apsara didn't idly watch his efforts. Its hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed, effectively cutting off his wind pipe.

Dean wheezed to draw air into his lungs, fingers scratching the ground more urgently. Just when he'd felt the tips of his fingers bump against the metal object, the creature lifted his head by his neck and bounced it off the rocky ground.

Dazed, Dean's struggles weakened and the contact to the daab severed. Breathing was still hard and by now Dean's lungs were screaming for oxygen. Dark dots started a tantilizing dance in front of his eyes.

Putting whatever strength he still had in a last effort to break free, Dean felt his head smack into the ground one more time and his eyes rolled up, unfocused. Vaguely, he felt himself being dragged over the ground and then water and cold engulfed his body.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: A big Thank You to everyone who reads and reviews. Makes my day!**

 *****SPN*****

Max trudged up ahead, leaving Jody and his sister trailing a few steps. His eyes were glued to the ground, the knife in his hand subconsciously slashing at the foliage and grass. Alicia knew he was using a bit of magic to follow Dean's trail so she gave him space.

Suddenly, Max stopped, staring ahead. When the girls had caught up with him, it was only to see him take off in a sprint across a fairly long stretch of rubble and rocks towards the river bank.

Jody checked the direction Max was running in and made out a struggling figure right at the water's edge.

"Shit, Dean," she muttered and set off after Max, Alicia at her side.

Unbeknownst right then to Jody, Alicia or Max, from the opposite side of the rubble field Sam stepped out of the forest. His eyes immediately fell onto the scene at the bank.

For a moment his body seemed to freeze, then he was up and running the relatively short distance, compared to Max', towards his brother.

"Dean!" he shouted as he took in the scene, his brother struggling with a watery figure, daab just out of his reach. While he was running he thought Dean actually managed to grab the sword. The next moment Sam saw his brother being dragged into the water.

A few seconds later, but it seemed much longer to Sam, he reached the discarded weapon and grabbed it off the ground in full run, launching himself at the spirit that was intent on drowning his brother.

Sam collided with the creature and started slashing at it as soon as he was sure he wouldn't hit his brother. Torn between pulling Dean out of the river and ending the monster, Sam's mind was made up when he heard Cassie calling Dean's name right behind him.

In his peripheral he saw Cassie and Cadie grab Dean and dragging his limp form out of the danger zone that was the river. Sam saw movement in the water before him and brought down the daab. The hot steam emitting from the creature took him by surprise as it burned his elbow.

He didn't have time to wonder about it because the next moment he felt his feet being pulled out underneath him and found himself in a partially submerged struggle against an enemy he could hardly make out. Sam's main aim became keeping his head above water and getting back on the dry land.

 *****spn*****

Cassie had run after Sam when he took off in a dead sprint after shouting his brother's name, Cadie not far behind. She saw Sam tackling the thing off her partner, but noticed Dean made no effort to get out of the water.

Quickly, she got into the water and grabbed his shirt by the neck, seeing that Cadie followed suit. Together they managed to drag him up on the shore.

"Dean?"

Cassie noticed his eyes were half closed and not really looking at anyone. His breathing was rattling from the water he'd inhaled. Quickly, Cassie turned him over and slammed her flat hand between his shoulder blades.

Dean coughed and wheezed and spat out a decent amount of water. He was breathing easier now but still mostly unaware of his surroundings.

Carefully, Cassie traced the blood crusted scratches on Dean's cheek, causing him to flinch subtly. A trickle of water was still running from his lips and Cassie gently ran her hand over his head in a gesture of comfort. It came away bloody, causing Cassie and Cadie to stare in shock.

"Dean?"

A warm, concerned voice floated over as Jody knelt by their sides, taking in the view before her. Quickly, she took off her shirt and rolled it up to cushion Dean's head. Then she gently shook his shoulder.

"Dean, look at me."

Dean moaned and slightly turned his head away.

"Oh no, Dean Winchester, you don't get to sleep just yet," Jody said firmly. "Look at me."

With a grumble Dean waved his hand at her and opened his eyes, trying to find Jody's.

"Good job," Jody smiled.

 *****spn*****

When Sam drew in a good gulp of air he noticed he wasn't alone in his fight anymore. The twins had launched themselves into the river and Max tackled the apsara that was still gunning for Sam. An angry hiss rewarded his efforts and Max felt a white hot pain on his left shoulder as he was thrown and crashed back into the water.

Sam had made use of the spirit's distraction and lifted the daab once more, aiming to slash in a circular motion but as before his attempt ended with high velocity hot steam catching his wrist this time.

"Ah, fuck!"

Sam howled and dropped the sword into the shallow water. It really hurt this time because his wrist wasn't covered by clothes like his elbow. Sam dropped his hand into the river to cool it and watched Alicia grabbing for the daab.

Upon seeing the twin girl trying to get a hold of the daab, the apsara gave a high-pitched squeal that made everyone including Cadie, her mom, and Jody cover their ears. The second Alicia's hand connected with it, the spirit charged her.

Alicia was thrown onto the riverbank, taking the daab with her but losing her grip in mid flight in order to be able to break her fall. Seizing his chance, Sam managed to wrap his long arms around the creature and keep a hold on it.

Dazed, Alicia tried to suck the air into her lungs that got knocked out of her when she'd crashed to the rocky ground. Her hands and wrists hurt but she struggled to bite back her own discomfort. They were fighting an evil spirit and they needed the sword to finish it.

She went to push herself up on her legs when her left arm gave way and she screamed briefly. Drawn by her distress, Max looked over to his sister and they locked eyes for a moment. Then Max nodded and crawled onto the bank to rush over and fetch the daab.

He grabbed it and spun around again right away, seeing Sam still struggling with the creature. Determined, Max raced back and charged right at the apsara. The second he slashed its body, Sam let go of it. There was an almighty hiss and Max felt a jolt of something akin to electricity charge his body. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut as images pelted his brain.

 *****spn*****

Dean was sucking air into his lungs as deeply as he could. His brain felt sluggish and slow as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He blinked his eyes a few times to clear his double vision but wasn't really successful.

"Jody?" He gasped pitifully.

"Right on the first try," Jody smiled. "Sam is here, as are Max and Alicia. They're helping Sam to finish that a... monster."

"I'm here, too," Cassie piped up, moving slightly to get into Dean's line of vision. When Dean recognized her, he smiled.

"Hey there, sweet'art," he mumbled. "Stay 'way from the river."

"You're hurt," Cassie said sadly.

"Hardly," Dean grunted, mustering a smile. He was still seeing two of her but he wasn't about share that news with the two Jody's. There was a job that needed wrapping up and he didn't plan on quitting now. Dean struggled to sit up and Jody immediately knew where this was going.

"Oh, no you don't," she admonished, putting her hand on his knee as a warning. Dean made a weak attempt at rolling his eyes.

"Jody's in momma bear mode...," he informed Cassie and for the first time he realized Cadie was there, too. He frowned. "Why's she 'ere?"

"You try and stop the Winchester stubbornness in full flight," Jody replied, somewhat reproachful.

" 'm not stubborn," Dean muttered.

"Of course not," Jody and Cassie replied simultaneously. They looked at each other and burst out laughing, which left Dean even more confused.

 *****spn*****

Max was trying to push aside the onslaught of emotions that were washing over him. Emotions that, as he realized slowly, were projected onto him by the apsara. There was anger and need and a quite inexplicable kind of fear that Max associated with his sister, Jody, Cassie and even Cadie. He didn't really understand.

As he came down and back to himself, he realized that all the negative, fearful emotions were related to females. Not Dean, who had been tangling with the spirit most of all, not Sam, nor even himself. Max got back on his feet, shoulder burning like hell, and shouted over towards Sam, who again was trying to get a hold of the weapon that Max had dropped.

"No, Sam! You can't kill it! Has to be a female!"

Sam didn't abandon his attempt to reach the daab, however, and just shot a confused look at Max, before being back to struggling with the creature. He managed to shake it off and dove onto his knees in the disturbed water, searching.

Max still felt weak in his legs from the electrical jolt that had engulfed him and crashed to his knees. Breathing heavily to gather enough air to call out to Sam once more. But before he could manage that, Sam disappeared under water as though pulled on a string.

"Saaam!" Max shouted, surprised it came out louder than he thought possible, until he saw he wasn't the only one shouting.

 *****spn*****

Dean was busy shaking off concerned hands and forcing his double vision down. He saw Alicia on the ground not far from her brother and Sam, cradling her arm, looking obviously in distress. Max seemed to be struggling with an invisible force while Sam was wrestling the monster.

With a determined growl Dean got to his feet, glaring at everyone who dared putting out a hand to steady him. He'd had worse. He could manage.

Max seemed to get a grip on himself and shouted something in Sam's direction. Sam managed a confused look before going back to his struggles, and then Dean felt like his blood was freezing in his veins. Sam disappeared under water, obviously pulled down by the spirit and Dean screamed.

"Saaaam!"

Without conscious thought he took off in Sam's direction. Jody reacted the same time as Cassie, holding on to Dean, who was unsteady like a newborn colt.

"No, Dean!" Cassie cried, struggling to keep hold on his arm. Even in his current state he was a lot stronger than her. Jody was holding tight onto Dean as well, earning herself an angry glare.

"Lemme go," Dean growled. "I gotta help Sammy."

"You can't, Dean," Jody panted.

Max was once more shouting something but all that Dean heard was _can't_ and _female_. His vision narrowed onto his brother. Why did everyone tell him he couldn't help? He _had_ to help!

Sam's head popped out of the floods and he gulped in the air to fill his oxygen starved lungs. But the fight was far from over. Dean kept struggling to get loose and was surprised when Cassie let go of him.

"Cadie," she shouted. "No!"

But Cadie ran on. She had heard every word Max had shouted and put two and two together. Determined, eyes set onto the silvery shimmering sword in the shallow waters, she closed in on it. She wasn't going to let that thing kill her uncle.

Cassie was torn between running after her child and making sure Dean stayed put. Jody used all her body weight and police know how to manage a distraught Dean.

"Sammy," he growled, then his eyes widened. "Cadie!" Dean doubled his efforts when he saw Cadie pick the daab out of the water and approach the wrestling bundle that was Sam and the apsara.

Water of the ongoing fight splashed onto Cadie's body and she lifted the weapon, readying herself for the strike. She had no idea if it mattered where she'd hit the spirit but common sense told her to aim for the torso.

Sam caught a glimpse of her and still being able to think on his feet, he twisted his body so Cadie would have a clear aim at the creature.

"Go!" Sam gasped, spitting out water. And Cadie moved.

Six pairs of eyes on her watched as she swiftly slashed down into a body that was hardly distinguishable from the surrounding spray. It felt like she'd slashed through jello until she felt a hard stop and withdrew the sword.

Dean finally managed to land an elbow on Jody's cheek, causing her to yelp.

"Ouch, alright," she said as she had to let Dean go. "See if you can figure out which way's up on your own."

Dean stumbled forward just as an unearthly screech mixed with a hissing noise as water took to the air like a giant spout. Then everything was quiet.

Cassie reached Cadie's side first, pulling her daughter back on dry land. Sam crawled rather than walked from the floods and Max had reached his sister, who was still cradling her arm to her body. Jody was trying to shake off the ringing in her ears as she hastened past Dean to help Sam.

Dean was frozen to the spot now, breathing heavily, blood rushing through his head, thumping to the beat of his heart. He felt eerily detached to everything but the pulse racing through his veins. He watched Sam crawling ashore, Cadie holding the daab, Cassie and Jody rushing to help and realized it was over.

Relief spread through his battered body, rushing him like a freight train. The green of the trees and the blue of the river lit up brightly before graying out. Next thing he knew, his world was tilting as the ground drew close to meet him and Max shouted his name.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: A big Thanks to DearHart and Ro for the reviews... and everyone who reads. Reviews keep the muse going ;)**

 *****SPN*****

Sam dragged his drenched form to his knees by the time Jody reached his side. He was sore all over and his left side was burning madly. Jody immediately had her hands on him, checking for injuries, talking away, but Sam didn't really hear her.

His eyes were fixed on his brother, a good few couples of steps away, rocking like a dingy in a heavy sea. Dean's face was pale, making the bloody scratches on it stand out even more. He was looking in Sam's direction, but Sam noticed right away Dean's eyes weren't focused. And then, like someone pulled the plug, Dean crashed to the rocks.

"Dean!" Sam heard Max shout a blink of an eye before he shook off Jody's hands and got to his feet, closing the distance between him and Dean in seconds. He dropped to his knees besides Dean, not caring about the pain he felt as the rocks dug into his skin through the denim, fingers immediately seeking out his brother's neck, searching for a pulse.

Max and Alicia reached Sam's side the same time as Jody. Cassie had gathered Cadie in her arms, holding on for dear life. When she heard Max' shout, she and Cadie rushed the few steps over. Sam was relieved to find the pulse immediately, although it was too fast and thready for his liking.

"Was he coherent earlier on?" Sam asked in direction of Cassie and Jody.

"He is concussed, if you ask me," Jody replied. "Although he wasn't disoriented. More like unbalanced though. His speech was borderline, he had trouble focusing at first. But he knew himself and us and what was happening."

Sam nodded while running his hands all over Dean's body, searching for obvious injury. Quickly he'd found the swollen lump with the split skin at the back of Dean's head. Apart from that there were no obvious breaks or wounds but for the scratches.

"How's everyone? Max?"

"I'm OK. Shoulder hurts. That thing clawed me good. But, I'm OK." Max replied. "'Licia I think has a fractured wrist, however."

"Right, how's the pain, Alicia?" Sam briefly looked at her.

"Ebbing down. I can manage. Max can set it later," she replied, unable to sound as carefree as she wanted.

"Good. Cadie? You good?"

"Of course," Cadie pouted. "Just got wet."

Sam snorted. She sounded quite indignant about it, not frazzled like you'd expect someone to be who'd just stabbed a supernatural creature for the very first time.

"You're Dean's kid alright," Sam mumbled. "Jody? Cassie?"

"Not a scratch," Jody replied.

"Me neither," added Cassie.

Jody had wanted to pick up on Sam's concession about who Cadie was, but decided to postpone it until they all got back to Cassie's and patched up.

"How about you, Sam?" Cassie returned his question. She hadn't forgotten how Sam had passed out on her doorstep not that long ago.

"Peachy. Bit banged up, and I think that spirit clawed my side," he replied. Jody's head shot up in comprehension.

"Let me see," she demanded.

"Later, Jody. I'm good. Just burns a bit," Sam deflected.

"N'uh - uh," Jody shook her head. "I'm not falling for that, boy. Got one freaky ass tall Winchester out cold here already, don't need the even bigger version passing out, too. You're white as a ghost."

"Yeah? And how can you tell?" Sam gasped. "Dusk is closing in fast and I don't wanna navigate here in the dark, especially with Dean in no shape of walking."

"Believe me, I can see well enough. Now show and tell before I dig up my mom voice for you again." Jody had put up a serious expression and Sam sighed. To be honest, he did feel a bit light headed, but put that down to the exertion. That apsara had not been weak.

Sam got to his feet and pulled up his shirt to expose his burning ribs. There were gasps from Jody and Cassie, Max frowned and Cadie clapped her hand in front of her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Sam," she gulped. "I didn't mean to."

Sam frowned, trying to glance at his side. "What do you mean, sweetie? That's not your fault."

"Well, Sam, that's no scratch," Max explained. "It looks like a..."

"Slash," Cadie replied, obviously upset. "I cut you. When I swung at that thing, the blade went like through jello. And then it kinda stopped."

"On your ribs, Sam," Jody added. "Don't worry, sweetheart, you're not to blame." Jody rubbed Cadie's shoulder. "He could be dead if you hadn't done what you did." Cadie remained quiet but nodded.

"I'd say that needs stitches, Sam," Max stated, handing Sam his shirt that he'd pulled off. "You should wrap it tight until we can do that."

"What about your shoulder?"

"Those are scratches. But not very deep. They stopped bleeding now so it should be ok," Max shrugged. "Any idea how we get Dean to the car?"

" 'll walk," came a mumbled voice from the ground.

"Dean," Sam called, going back on his knees as soon as Jody had finished tying Max' shirt around him. "You can't walk that far."

"Sure I can. Got a better idea?"

"You're balance is out of whack and you got knocked out I dunno how often. And now you passed out!" Sam knew his brother's stubborn streak but it exasperated him every time again.

"But he has a point, Sam," Jody pursed her lips. "It's really getting dark now and we can't really carry him. So, I think if he let's Cassie and me help..."

"I'm not an invalid," Dean groused.

"Right now you are," Cassie said sternly, leaving Dean open mouthed in consternation. "So let's not waste time with pointless discussions."

Sam smiled, enjoying how Cassie and Jody managed to reduced his brother to speechlessness.

"On your feet, soldier," he grinned, holding out his hand to pull Dean up. But Jody glared at him and pushed his hand away, offering hers instead.

Soon the limping, hobbling, rib-and-wrist-holding group slowly made its way back to the cars, Cadie and a flashlight leading the way.

 *****spn*****

Sam hadn't known whether to be glad or worried that Dean hadn't put up a fight about who was going to drive back his car. Sam himself had to fight off Jody arguing he should let Cassie or Max drive. If she deemed Max fit to drive, so was he.

Once at Cassie's, he had roused Dean long enough for him to grumble over the offered help while staggering inside, where he promptly took to the couch and was more out than not. Sam and Max had gotten rid of their wet clothes, while Cassie had helped Dean to do likewise. Cadie had been quick to dash to her room for dry stuff.

Sam had opted to leave off any shirt until his wound was seen to. For now he was busy cleaning the scratches on Dean's face and applying butterfly strips. Dean was softly grunting in discomfort but knew it had to be done. When Sam moved on to the back of his head, the moans had become louder. This wound needed stitches and when Dean became quiet Sam was wondering if he'd passed out again.

Meanwhile Max had let Jody clean his shoulder. The scratches hadn't been too deep so butterflies once again proved sufficient. Max went on to test his sister's wrist but luckily found no misalignment so they settled for wrapping it up tightly.

"Right, big guy," Jody said when Sam had finished stitching up Dean's head. "Your turn to be a pin cushion."

"I already cleaned it," Sam assured her but that wasn't what Jody wanted to hear.

"It needs stitches, Sam," she reminded him with a firm voice.

"Dean can do it. No offense, but I am just used to him doing it. He's the only one I've ever trusted to do it," Sam explained.

"Dean is in lala land," Max stated, looking at the hunter.

" 'm not," Dean mumbled. "Jus' restin' m' eyes."

"Well you should be," Cassie replied worriedly.

Dean pushed himself upright on the couch, blinking his eyes sluggishly. "Got anything to drink?" He rasped, attempting a smile at Cassie that, despite being far from his mega watt smile managed to make her heart flutter.

"You're not getting any booze, Dean Winchester," Jody gasped.

"Water," Dean sighed. "M' mouth is parched."

Cadie dashed off and returned with the desired liquid. Dean smiled at her and Cadie smiled back shyly. She still felt bad about cutting Sam. Dean emptied the cup and motioned for the needle.

Amazed, Jody, Cassie and the twins watched how Dean, who was barely able to keep his eyes open, let alone stay vertical, managed to neatly stitch the slash in Sam's side.

"Wow," Cadie exhaled after about half the stitches were done, kinda reminding Dean he had an audience.

"Whatcha all looking at?" Dean grumbled. "Never seen a man with a needle?"

"I saw Sam stitch up your arm, which was awesome," Cadie replied. "But this is even more so. And you're half asleep on top of it all."

"What? Am not," Dean muttered and finished off the last stitch. "There, good as new," he said, patting Sam's leg. Dean got up only to be hit by a bout of vertigo.

"Shit," he whispered, grasping for anything to hold on to and finding Jody's arm.

"Cassie? You got a bucket? He looks like he's ready to spit out more water."

Cassie produced the desired object just in time. By then, Sam had managed to wrestle Jody aside to handle his stubborn ass brother.

"What did you say earlier again about not being stubborn?" Cassie huffed. "It definitely runs in the family."

"Speaking of family...," Max started.

"How come you never told anyone?" Alicia picked up.

"Huh?" Dean grunted warily.

"Huh isn't an answer, Dean," Jody admonished him.

"Dunno whatcha talking about," Dean mumbled, eyelids drooping.

"Cadie?" Jody supplied.

"What about her?"

"You know, Dean, right now I can't make out if you're just too scrambled upstairs or really trying to deny the obvious," Jody sighed, torn between concern and annoyance.

"He didn't know about Cadie," Cassie replied, guessing what they were getting at. "I never told him, not that I'd seen him since then. He only found out when he saved me from that Griffin."

"Yeah," Dean more slurred than talked. "Good thing she knew 'bout me tho, cos if she hadn't called when she did you might have been bird food, sweet'eart."

"But this time I almost fucked things up royally," Cadie cut in, sounding contrite.

"Cadie! Language!" Cassie called sternly. Cadie just blinked her eyes.

"It's true. I almost killed Sam."

"What?" Dean jerked up his head, looking confused, eyes searching out Sam.

"Oh no, Cadie, you didn't," Sam denied, shaking his head. "You see, if you hadn't picked up the daab, the apsara would have drowned me. Dean wasn't in the shape to help, Max was hurt, Alicia was too, and Jody and your mom had their hands full with your dad. You were the only one who could help me, help us kill it. And you saw that and you put aside your fear and you did it. You killed it. You saved us all."

"But...," Cadie started. Sam would have none of it.

"No buts, hon. Yeah, you may have slashed my side, but my ribs did their job. They protected me. And if you're going to say you should have stopped the sword, you're wrong. Any less force, and..."

"And it might not've killed the fugly," Dean took over. "Sweetie, from what I've heard, you did well. Getting banged up kinda comes with the job description. And it's not like ya aimed at Sam, is it?" Cadie shook her head no. "See? You're fine."

Dean granted his daughter a warm smile, which she reciprocated shyly, then he grimaced. His head was killing him and all he wanted was rest. Sam got up and disappeared in the kitchen, returning a minute later with some water and a handful of pills.

"Read my mind?" Dean asked as he took two painkillers from his brother.

"No, just your expression and the pain in your eyes. Known you long enough, dude."

When Dean handed back the water, Sam took a pill himself and passed on the last ones to Max and Alicia. It didn't take long for the pills to do their job and Dean was out.

The twins retreated to the guest room to rest up since Sam refused to wrestle his dead to the world brother up the stairs. Cadie moved in with Cassie, leaving Jody to crash in her room.

Sam pulled the arm chair over to the couch and kicked up his legs, somehow threading them in between Dean's, and got comfortable as much as he could. Soon, everyone was resting safe and sound.

It was well after midnight when Sam was jolted from his slumber by a determined pounding at the door. He glanced at his brother, who was usually up and alert before himself, but Dean was still out cold.

Sam extracted his legs from where they had been tangled up with Dean's and got to the front door as fast as he could, fingers wrapped around the handle of his gun.

Hand on the door knob, he peered through the peep hole and almost choked on his own spit. He swallowed quickly and undid the safety chain, before unlatching the door and stepping back.

"Mom?"

"Wh... Sam? Where's Dean?" Mary's voice was vibrating with concern. She stepped in and onto the rug, closing the door behind her. Sam relaxed and loosened his grip on the gun. His mother had stepped across the salt line and the devil's trap under the rug just fine.

"He's out cold. What are you doing here, Mom?" Sam tried keeping his voice low.

"Jody called me. Said, Dean was missing. She said you were hunting an Asian water spirit?" Mary's eyes were darting around until they came to rest on the sleeping form of her eldest son on the couch. She stepped past Sam and approached.

"We were. We killed it."

"You killed...? Who did?" Mary asked, frowning. "It can't have been either of you, because they can only be killed by..."

"A female, yes. Max figured it out. Late, but not too late."

"Damnit Sam, why didn't you call?" Mary groused. "You think just because I wanted out of hunting at one point, I wouldn't remember my monsters?"

"Your... wait, what? Are you saying you fought one before?" Sam gasped.

"If you had asked me, Dean wouldn't be laying here all scratched up," Mary plowed on. She was trying to keep her voice low rather unsuccessfully.

"He'll be okay. I'll be, too. We will all be. The apsara is gone," Sam explained, feeling uncomfortable when his mother's eyes landed on his wrapped up side.

"Who killed it?"

"Cadie, she..." Sam started, but was cut off quickly.

"Cadie?" Mary all but shrieked. "Are you out of your mind? Why on earth did you bring Cadie with you?"

"Haven't you seen how stubborn Dean is? Cadie is a perfect match. There was no talking her out of it," Sam defended himself.

"She's a kid. You, on the other hand, are an overgrown adult. I've also seen how you can handle Dean. Surely you can handle a twelve-year-old girl!" Mary was puffing with the effort to keep quiet.

All her efforts proved in vain, however. Dean was slowly surfacing to a hushed but heated discussion. His eyelids still felt like lead, and his mind was feeling thick and mushy like honey. Was Sam really arguing with him when he was half asleep and drugged up? Couldn't it wait?

"I..."

"...tried to keep her safe, I know. I'm just worried. Cos I love her. And I love you, both of you."

Sam winced involuntarily, letting Mary's concern shoot up a notch. She had noticed the bandage and knew what must be hidden underneath.

"How bad are you hurt? _You_ need to be resting, too. What are you still doing up with an injury like that?"

"Damn S'mmy, now y' soun' like Mom," Dean slurred, trying to figure out if he wanted to wake up or not.

"Well, Dean, maybe that is because I _am_ your mom."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry for the long wait. Here's the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!**

 *****SPN*****

Dean went rigid on the couch at those word. He opened his eyes slowly and was greeted by a smile framed by golden locks. He blinked, but the image didn't disappear.

"Must've hit my head harder than I realized," he mumbled, blinking again. He was still feeling too lethargic to do much more.

"Or, maybe I'm real," Mary smiled.

"Maybe," Dean nodded.

"How are you feeling, Dean?" Sam inquired, dropping himself down in his armchair again after pulling up the other one for their mother.

"Head's fuzzy," Dean admitted. "Apart from that, I feel fine. Bit banged up but nothing major."

"Well, a good-sized concussion isn't what I'd call minor," Mary remarked. "Now, which of you two is going to tell the whole story?"

Dean huffed. "Fugly tried to drown me, slash me, burn me, choke me, and she bounced my head off the rocks once or twice. Didn't appreciate me bringing the daab."

"Now, that was informative," Mary quipped, voice holding a good amount of sarcasm. "What about you, Sam?"

Sam smiled tightly and filled their mother in while Dean, willingly or not, drifted back to sleep.

When Dean woke up again it was to the smell of coffee and some hushed chatter. His legs felt heavy but it wasn't until he opened his eyes that he saw it was due to Sam's long legs resting on his. Sam was still out. Dean smacked Sam's legs, waking his brother with a jerk.

"Get your heavy stilts off me, Sasquatch. Can't feel my legs anymore."

Sam blinked and did as he was told, mind still too foggy for an appropriate comeback. The chatter ceased, making Dean sit up and look around. The twins and Jody were staring at them, all wearing a bemused expression. Cassie had been chatting with Mary and now went to get a mug of steaming coffee for the brothers.

Cadie looked up from where she'd been busy on her phone. When Dean was upright she smiled and walked over, claiming the place next to him.

"Heya princess, what's up?" Dean smiled at her.

"Nothing much," Cadie replied, grinning back. "Just glad you're in one piece."

"Me too," Dean mumbled and yelped in surprise as Cadie wrapped her arms around him for a hug.

"Oh, jeez," Cadie exclaimed, letting go again. "You need a shower, like yesterday!"

Sam chuckled heartily as he accepted his coffee from Cassie, managing not to spill anything.

"Dunno why you're laughing, same goes for you, Sam," Cadie deadpanned.

"Hey, at least my last shower was more recent than Dean's," Sam defended himself. Cadie just stared at him pointedly. "Dean goes first," Sam conceded.

"Coffee first," Dean muttered. It wasn't that he was unwilling to shower but he definitely needed to wake up a bit more. Sipping the coffee he noticed everyone still kinda holding their breath, watching him. Self conscious, he looked down on himself, finding nothing worth staring at.

"What?" He asked indignantly.

"Nothing really, just...you fell down the cliff? And you're in one piece?" Max asked.

Apparently Mary had passed on what she knew from him and Sam. Dean shrugged.

"Got a bit banged up. Fugly tried to drown me though. That was less pleasant than the fall." He took another sip. "What I'd find interesting would be to know how the hell you all ended up here. Did Sammy put up the bat signal?"

"Something like that," Cassie replied. "He showed up on my door step and passed out. And when his phone was dry again, Jody called."

Jody then picked up how she and the twins made their trip to help find Dean. When she had finished, Dean's mug was empty. Gingerly, he got to his feet and shuffled toward the shower.

***spn***

Cassie watched Dean climb the stairs to the big bathroom, his movements slow and a bit rougher than usual, but still belying everything his body had endured the last days. There was something she still had to tell him, but she had decided to wait until she was sure.

When Sam told her he was missing, she'd actually felt scared for a moment. She hadn't seen the brothers in six weeks. Sometimes they'd stay only a day or two, sometimes a week or two. Ever since they saved her from the Griffin, Dean had always made sure to check on her and Cadie.

Dean had never said it but Cassie knew he'd feel better if Cadie and her relocated to the bunker or at least close by. Mary had hinted that, too, when she had dropped in. She and Cadie were getting along great and Cassie was happy her daughter went from having only her mom to having her dad, an uncle and a gramma as well.

Sam got up from where he was sitting and headed towards the front door. Mary, Jody and the twins were discussing hunter things, exchanging experiences and Cadie was trying to look bored but Cassie knew she was listening in.

Following Sam outside, Cassie caught up with him on the porch. She'd decided that maybe he could advise her how best to approach his brother about a rather sensitive topic.

"Hey," she said when Sam turned to look at her after he'd heard her step out, too.

"Hey," he smiled in return. "I was just going to get something from the Impala. What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I... just thought I'd check on you... your bandages," Cassie replied, feeling rather nervous all of a sudden. Quickly she shoved her sweaty palms into her jeans pockets. "What, um... do you need from the car?"

Sam raised an eyebrow, noting right away how Cassie was acting strangely. He looked around, but saw nobody else.

"My razor. If Cadie makes me shower anyways, I might as well get rid of this thicket here," Sam explained, running his hand over his stubbled chin. "And unlike Dean, I don't have a razor stored here." He winked, causing Cassie to blush and fidget even more. The uneasy feeling Sam had had intensified and he frowned, before taking hold of Cassie's wrist to get her attention.

"Cassie, is there something wrong? I mean, other than the strange events that have occurred over the past 72 hours?" he asked. Cassie started at the black Chevy for a moment and sighed.

"Um, well Sam, I know you know Dean better than anyone, and I am sure you guys have had you share of life changing events," she started slowly, relocating her gaze at Sam's concerned face. "I am really nervous about something I want to talk to him about and I have no idea how to approach him. I have seen how he handles not knowing something, but I have no clue how he will react to this."

Sam wondered what could be plaguing Cassie this much, but he respected the fact that she probably wanted to tell Dean first. He went to sit down on the porch wing and had her take a seat also.

"I know that Dean prefers to handle a situation knowing as much as possible about it, so I think if you approach him with that frame of mind you will be okay," Sam replied earnestly. Then he grinned. "What also helps is bribery of food, or things I'd rather not know about."

Cassie laughed at that, the small joke putting her at ease.

"So, if you're done with 'checking my bandages' you might wanna catch him while the water's still warm. Just don't tell him I said that, please." Sam smiled with a grimace.

"Hell no," Cassie snorted, wide eyed. "I think, I'll better get upstairs then." Sam watched her return inside.

"You go, girl," he mumbled to himself. "But I hope this better be good news." Then he turned and strode over to the Impala.

About twenty minutes later Dean slowly descended the stairs, toweled hair briefly brushed with his hand, face stoically impassive. Arriving at the floor, Dean sought out eye contact with his brother and then motioned with his head for Sam to follow him. Sam raised his eyebrows getting up, concern spreading through his guts.

Dean turned around, headed outside, and Sam could have sworn he caught his brother's face drawing into a big, fat smile. When Sam walked past the staircase he spotted Cassie on top. She smiled at him and Sam relaxed a bit more. Both of them smiling just couldn't mean bad news.

As Sam caught up with his brother, Dean was leaning against his beloved car, a smirk on his face. Sam just raised an eyebrow in lieu of a question.

"What do you think, Sam, can we fit a car seat in Baby?"

"A car seat?" Sam repeated, baffled.

"Yeah, you know, so that the little people don't get all tumbled around and hurt themselves," Dean grinned.

"You want to fit a car seat in your Baby?"

"Not right now, I think we still have about six months before we need it."

"Dude, if that's the way you're trying to tell me I'm gonna be an uncle again...," Sam started and Dean laughed.

"Yeah, you better get your diaper changing training up to speed, bitch," Dean grinned.

"Me? I'd say that's your job, Daddy," Sam snorted.

"Oh, I'm well trained. Had to change your sorry ass for years," Dean stated. Sam playfully slapped Dean's shoulder before pulling his brother into a hug.

"I guess this calls for some congrats, dude," he smiled.

"Hey, no chick flick moments, aunty," Dean shot back, twisting out of Sam's grip after a moment.

"Jerk," Sam grumbled affectionally. "You gonna tell Mom or is Cassie taking care of that?"

Dean's eyes widened in slight panic. "I got no idea," he admitted and strode back to the house, a chuckling Sam in tow.

Inside, Dean didn't even have to ask Cassie whether or not she'd spilled the beans as Jody jumped up and pulled him into a bear hug, smile as wide as the Grand Canyon plastered on her face. She carefully 'squeezed' the air out of him while rubbing her hand over his back.

"That's awesome news, Dean. Congratulations! You have to be so proud!" Jody rambled on a bit, only letting go when Dean made a slight sound of discomfort. "Oh sh... sorry."

Jody stepped back, smile still in place and let Mary take over, who hovered, hugging herself. Mary sported a similar smile to Jody's, but it was her eyes that really told Dean all he needed to know. He stepped forward and slowly engulfed his mother in his arms.

"I know, Mom. And yes... Cassie has agreed to move closer to Lebanon. To start off we'll share the bunker until we figure out how to best make this work, but you will have a chance to finally see a lil Winchester grow up," Dean whispered for her ears only.

Mary melted into his hug and took a deep breath before untangling her arms from around herself to fold around her son.

"I know," she whispered back. "I love you."

Jody watched the two for a bit and then looked at Sam, who merely shrugged. Cadie was standing with her mother, holding a quiet conversation of their own while the twins seemed to communicate via looks only.

Once Mary let Dean go she walked over to stand next to Sam, watching Alicia press a kiss on Dean's cheek while Max simply clasped hands with Dean, a charming smile on his lips.

"Have fun with the lil rascal," Max grinned.

"I already have fun with the rascal over there," Dean nodded at Cadie who played along and crossed her arms in front of her chest, pretending to scowl. Max laughed.

"I can imagine. But they do say boys are a touch wilder, especially when they're handsome like me." Max winked at Cadie who couldn't hold her scowl and grinned.

"Whoa... wait," Dean frowned. "We don't know that, yet." He looked at Cassie who shared his confusion, but Max just laughed heartily and walked to Cassie. There he ran his right hand in a crescent movement in front of her belly.

"Reveal," he muttered, eyes flashing purple. "It's all in the sparkle," he then explained.

"You sure?" Cadie piped up.

"Well, sweetheart, magic isn't exact science, but yeah, I'm sure."

"Neat, I'm calling dibs on the name," Cadie shrieked.

"Oh, no, no, no," Dean and Cassie hastened to say simultaneously. Sam chuckled. He could already tell, if Cadie stayed at the bunker, it would get doubly interesting. If not triple.

Cadie pouted but hadn't missed Sam's chuckle. She turned to him.

"Nothing to giggle about, Samantha," she growled.

"Hey, young lady. Nobody can call Sammy Samantha but me," Dean admonished his offspring.

"It's SAM," Sam sighed.

"Right, Sam," Cadie repeated. "Don't you have a shower to grab?" She stared at him challengingly.

Sam opened his mouth and looked from Mary to Cassie, Jody, the twins and his brother. It was obvious he stood no chance against them all. So he surrendered and walked towards the stairs. When he walked past Cassie, Sam stopped to hug her and then scoffed as he remembered something.

"Oh, and this time I will keep the door locked," he explained, a pointed look gliding from Cassie to Dean.

"Hurry up, Samantha," Dean drawled. "We wanna start on the beer."

"No beer with a concussion, Princess," Max chucked in and everybody nodded. Dean scowled, much like Cadie had done earlier.

"Spoilsports."


	7. Chapter 7

Dean heard the shower starting to run the exact same moment his stomach let out a big growl. A glance at the clock on the wall in the living room told him lunch time was approaching fast. He hadn't had anything to eat in about two days and the coffee he'd had didn't fill him up. Looking around he spotted the Impala's keys on the table and walked over to snatch them.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jody's voice popped up. Dean turned to see her staring at him, arms crossed.

"I'm hungry," he declared. "Gonna grab some pizza or sumthin'."

"You have a concussion, Dean," Alicia tutted. "You shouldn't be driving."

"Sweetheart, I've been driving with much worse," Dean explained, gracing her with one of his blinding smiles. "Double vision is gone, I'll be fine. Who else wants pizza?"

"Double vision?" Cassie frowned.

"Yeah, well, that was back at the river, darlin'," Dean drawled. "Nothing to worry about."

Cassie didn't look convinced. A sentiment that was shared by Mary, Jody and Alicia. Max was busy studying the walls, clearly trying to stay out of this argument.

"I'll go with him," Cadie piped up, breaking the stalemate.

"Oh, no, champ," Dean shook his head. "I don't need a babysitter. Especially not one half my size."

"You're gonna need help carrying all those pizza boxes," Cadie insisted, winking at her father. "I've seen the appetite hunters have. And there are seven here."

"Seven?" Dean scrunched up his forehead. "Last time I checked, your mother wasn't a hunter."

"Nope. I'm talking about myself. Let's go, old man."

Cadie skipped past Dean and headed through the front door. Dean's eyes grew big, then he shrugged.

"Dean," Cassie started, a warning tone in the word.

"Yeah, I know. I'll talk to her. We'll be fine." He grinned and turned to follow his wayward offspring.

 *****spn*****

They'd been driving for a couple of minutes in silence. Dean had been playing with the radio but then switched it off.

"So, what pizza should we get?"

"Dean, I'm not dumb. No need for small-talk. I know I'm not a hunter. But I can't unsee or undo the things I've seen and done. Kinda makes me a hunter, doesn't it?"

"Cayenne, listen. You're an awesome kid. And I'm proud you're my kid," Dean started, making Cadie smile. "Seeing monsters, knowing they exist, are real, and even killing one, doesn't make you a hunter. Hunters seek out these monsters."

"Right," Cadie nodded. "But I'm not a normal kid either."

"That you aren't," Dean agreed. "But unlike with me - and Sam - for you it's not necessary to become a kid hunter. We didn't have a choice. You do."

Cadie stared at the dashboard for a short while, obviously mulling things over, and Dean let her.

"Thing is, I know about the monsters. And they would scare me way less if I knew what to do. I don't want to go on hunts with you and Sam. I want to finish school and then see what life has to offer. But I want to learn how to defend myself. I know about salt and holy water - and special weapons like the lance and the sword. But I want to know other things, too. To keep myself safe. And Mom. And later on my little brother, too."

Dean regarded his daughter top to bottom, taking in her words. Then he kept quiet, his turn to mull things over. Finally he pulled in and parked by the pizza place.

"You're pretty smart, Cadie. I think Sam's brains are in there, somewhere, too."

"Don't sell yourself short, Dean. Not like you're dumb."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah? And how do you know that?"

"Well, Dad, it's easy for a smart man to pretend to be dumb. Other way around, not so much. I've seen you, and I've heard what you did. From several people. You might not have finished school, but I know it wasn't for lack of brains."

Dean was quiet for a moment. Then he looked up. "You called me Dad."

"Yeah. 'Cause you are my dad. Get used to it."

A small chuckled rumbled in Deans chest and he shook his head briefly. "You're something else, you know that? And I like that you want to concentrate on school. However, I think learning a few spells or exorcisms to stay safe is a reasonable thing to do, especially in our situation. You got yourself a deal on that. No hunting, only defense."

Cadie beamed. "You know, defense should also include shooting a gun or throwing a punch, or a knife," she pressed on.

"Don't push it, young lady," Dean growled amicably and opened the door the get out of the car.

"Young lady my ass," Cadie snorted, following him.

"Got your uncle's smart-assed sass too," he mumbled just out of hearing range, knowing better than to go back and forth with the Winchester stubbornness.

 *****spn*****

Sam was climbing down the stairs, enjoying the feel of clean clothes on water warmed skin. His hair was still damp but he'd let it air dry as usual after toweling it as much as possible. He wouldn't want to know what schtick Dean would give him if he'd catch his brother blow-drying his hair. Sam would never hear the end of it.

In the living room, the twins were chatting with Mary while Jody was busy talking on her phone, one finger stuck in the unoccupied ear to drown out the soft chatter. Sam turned and found Cassie emerging from the kitchen with a tray of drinking glasses in her hands. She set it down on the table and smiled at Sam.

Sam frowned. He'd seen Cassie smile quite a bit, but this time it seemed somewhat forced. It didn't reach her eyes, like there was something on her mind.

"Where are Dean and Cadie?" Sam asked, not wanting to be too blunt about the worry he'd seen on Cassie's face.

"They're getting pizza," Cassie informed him and turned to grab a bunch of serviettes to deposit in the center of the table as well.

"Oh, great," Sam smiled. He was rather hungry. And he knew Dean had to be even more famished. "Cassie, what's wrong?"

"What? Nothing, Sam."

"Right," Sam nodded. "Listen, like a good friend and great hunter once said, I was born at night, but it wasn't last night. What's on your mind, beautiful? Did Dean do anything? Or say anything?"

Cassie sighed and then sat down by the table, elbows resting on it. "No, Sam. But Cadie, she counts herself as a hunter and Dean..." Cassie trailed off.

"Dean would never let her go on a hunt unless it can't be helped, Cassie," Sam replied as he sat down next to her, covering her hand with his.

"I know," Cassie looked up to meet Sam's eyes. "But Cadie is a wiley kid. She's smart and usually finds a way to wrap adults around her little finger."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, we learned that when she hid away in the trunk back then." Then he sobered. "Look, I get your concern. But Dean, he's really good with kids. Hell, he had to deal with me growing up. He will do everything to keep Cadie safe. He loves that girl."

"Yeah, I know. And Cadie loves him. She'll want to impress him. She's looking up to him so much I fear she'll think hunting is the only way to impress her father."

"Hmm," Sam pondered. "I'm not sure you're giving your kid enough credit, Cassie. Your daughter doesn't strike me as naive. Maybe you should have a talk with her about your concerns. Possibly with Dean present as well."

"Um, yeah, that sounds kinda good," Cassie smiled.

"That's 'cause it is," Jody piped in, dropping the phone on the table and herself on another chair.

"Work?" Sam asked, nodding at the discarded phone.

"Yep. I'm needed again. I think I need to train new colleagues. The current ones always seem to run into trouble when I'm on a hunting vacation." Jody rolled her eyes. "But... I'm not gonna leave and pass on the pizza."

"Ditto," Mary called, walking up to the table. "Although I would pass it for a couple of Dean's famous burgers." She smiled, winking at Sam, who chuckled, shaking his head.

"Yeah. They're awesome."

"Dean can cook?" Max sounded incredulous. Him and Alicia had squeezed onto the bench opposite side of the table.

"He's quite a pro, for a hunter," Sam admitted. "Me, I'd manage to burn water if I tried my hand at cooking."

"I doubt that," Mary quipped.

"Well, he's right," Dean's deep voice drawled from the open front door. He was carrying a stack of steaming pizza boxes, while Cadie cradled a sixpack of Coke bottles. "If anyone could get the beer from the car..."

Max jumped up to oblige. The smell of hot pizza filled his nostrils and his mouth watered, but he was really liking the prospect of a cold one to go with it. Soon the party of eight was happily munching away.

 *****spn*****

Jody helped Cassie and Alicia clear the table. Dean had moved back to the couch and kicked up his feet. Mary took the opportunity to sit next to her eldest.

"I decided I'll follow you to the bunker," she started.

"You don't have to. I'm good. And if I'm not, Sam will make sure I don't do anything stupid," Dean replied. Mary smiled and shook her head.

"Maybe I want to? I would like to help get things ready for Cassie and Cadie. And I'd like to catch up with you and Sam. Haven't seen you in a bit and don't wanna make a habit of not seeing you."

"Sorry, Mom, didn't mean it like that," Dean replied, looking at her fondly.

"I know you didn't," Mary grinned. "So, what's the plan? When are we leaving?"

"Not sure," Dean shrugged. "Some time this afternoon. Don't wanna do the whole drive in the dark."

"Dean Winchester," Jody called sternly, walking up to them. "You shouldn't be driving at all."

"What? Why? I've had..."

"Worse, yes I know," Jody rolled her eyes. "If you are bothered by driving in the dark it clearly means your eggs have been scrambled more than you let on."

Dean scowled at Jody just as his brother stepped into his line of vision.

"No worries, Jody. I won't let him drive if I think he's a danger to others and himself," Sam chimed in, looking at his mother as he laid a hand on Jody's shoulder in reassurance.

"Traitor," Dean muttered.

"Well, I gotta get going. Just let me know you're all safe." Jody turned to hug Sam, then Mary. Dean dragged himself up to hug their favorite sheriff.

"You know, I already have a mom, Jody," he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around Jody.

"I'm aware. But someone like you can't have too many eyes watching over. Stay safe, sweetheart. And look after your girls."

Jody stepped up to Cassie and Cadie hugging them as well and then looked at the twins. "You coming?"

A few hours later Dean and Sam were ready to leave as well. Mary was going to follow in her car and Cassie had promised to get her and Cadie's move setup in the coming weeks.

Dean put his hand on Cadie's shoulder, smiling at her. "Look after yourself. And after your mother. And if something comes up, you got my number." He winked at the girl who just laughed heartily.

"Sure thing, Dad," Cadie replied.

"Oh, no, Dean," Cassie groaned. "Don't drag her down the rabbit hole just yet."

"Hey, I was referring to boys, tiger mom. Maybe there are some things a girl rather discusses with her dad instead of her mom."

"Right," Cassie shook her head and then accepted Dean into her arms to hug and kiss him. "You sure you're okay?"

"Aces," Dean smiled. "C'mon, Samantha, let's roll."

Soon the tail lights of the black Impala and Mary's blue Camaro vanished in the distance.

"Momma?" Cadie asked.

"Yeah, Baby?"

"We got an awesome family." The girl grinned looking at her mother.

"We sure do," Cassie replied, pulling her daughter close. "We sure do."

 **The End**

 **AN: Just in case you were wondering, yes, I have a follow up in mind. Next year ;)**


End file.
